by Barbara Goss
Charlie gasped and covered her face with her hands. At the same time, Ginger came out of the saloon holding a pistol aimed straight at her heart.
“You see, little sister, I can’t kill you, but Ginger here can.”
Charlie’s eyes darted from Leo to Ginger. Where were the sheriff and the other guys?
She saw the sheriff, Clem, Howie, and Buck out of the corner of her eye Their guns were aimed at Leo’s back and not at Ginger, since she was still in the saloon’s doorway and out of their view.
The sheriff had no idea that Ginger was holding a gun pointed at Charlie’s heart. Charlie was wearing her guns, but she knew that Ginger could shoot her before she could get a gun out of her holster. What was she to do? She realized that life truly didn’t matter anymore if Jesse was dead, and she closed her eyes and prayed.
A familiar voice broke through her prayer: “Throw the gun down on the ground!”
Charlie opened her eyes to see Jesse standing behind Ginger with a gun to her back. Her heart thumped so hard in her chest that she had trouble breathing—Jesse was alive!
Ginger threw down her gun grudgingly. That was when Leo grabbed Ginger’s arm and pulled her to their horses several feet away.
Sheriff Granger moved in on them along with Clem, Howie, and Buck. Leo and Ginger weren’t going anywhere, except to jail, but Charlie didn’t see any of it, for she was in Jesse’s arms.
Chapter Eighteen
When Charlie squeezed Jesse, he gave out a gasp and pushed her away. Charlie looked up at him, confused.
“I got shot in the back by Roy in Sterling’s Mill. I’ve been there for some time being doctored up, but I’m still sore and weak.”
Charlie lay her head on his chest. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
“I’m still recovering. I think we need to spend the night in the hotel over there,” he nodded at a shabby-looking building. “We can ride home tomorrow.”
Jesse swooned, and Charlie grabbed him and walked him across the street to the hotel next door to the sheriff’s office where she got them a room and put Jesse to bed.
“I’m going next door to the sheriff’s to see how we go about getting our money back,” Charlie said. “It was all my fault it got stolen.”
“No, Charlie,” Jesse said. “I have a greater need right now. I need you to lie beside me. We can figure all that out in the morning.”
Charlie smiled. “Oh, Jesse! Leo told me you were dead, and after hearing that, I didn’t care if Ginger shot me or not.”
“Ginger? Was that the woman with the gun on you?”
Charlie climbed up onto the bed and laid beside Jesse. “Yes, Leo’s new woman. How did you know? How did you get behind her? Were you in the saloon the whole time?”
“I watched you walk into the saloon from up on the hill. I had a strange feeling, so I came down and went in the backdoor of the saloon, through the kitchen, and that’s when I saw Ginger holding a gun on someone. As I walked closer, I saw it was my beloved soulmate.”
Charlie put her hands around his neck and kissed his cheek. “The sheriff and three men from church had me covered, but they couldn’t see Ginger from their viewpoint. I was ready to die. I couldn’t imagine living in a world without you in it.”
Jesse stroked her hair. “I meant that much to you after one night of passion?”
“I fell in love with you while we were camping on our way to Cheyenne. And from there it just grew deeper.”
“You did?” Jesse said, his eyes slowly closing.
“Sleep, sweetheart,” she said. “I love you,” but Jesse was already asleep.
After a slow ride home, Charlie insisted that Jesse see a doctor. “Please, Jesse, you’re as white as a ghost, and I’m worried about you.”
Jesse laid down on the settee. “Ah, you bought a softer one... I love it.” He gazed around the room. “You’ve made this house into a home, and I love it.”
“The doctor? You changing the subject with compliments won’t deter me from having your wound checked.”
“Let me relax. I feel fine. It was an exhausting ride is all.”
“I’m going to make you some soup, and if your color isn’t better, I’m going to fetch a doctor. There is one, isn’t there?”
Jesse sighed. “According to Sean, we’ve never had one in Sunset Creek, but Sean mentioned that Matilda Grant’s elderly father is a retired doctor. He practiced in Kansas City, but when his wife died, he moved in with Matilda. Sean said he has seen a few patients here. He comes to the house, and he prefers payment in baked goods. His name is Satterfield, I think.”
“Baked goods?”
“You know: pies, cakes, or cookies.”
“So where is the Satterfield—or should I say, Mrs. Grant’s—place?”
“It’s on the same road as Sean’s place, but about a half-mile farther.”
“All right. You sleep while I make soup and bake a cake, then I’ll ride out to bring Dr. Satterfield back to check on you.
“Is that all right with you, Jesse?” She leaned over to kiss his forehead; he was asleep.
Charlie rode out to the Grant ranch to meet Dr. Enoch Satterfield, who agreed to take a look at Jesse’s wound. Charlie thought him to be a cute little man. He was fast-moving man for a man in his late seventies or early eighties. He was balding, but what little hair he had reached his shoulders, and he had a beard and mustache to match.
Charlie had to shake Jesse’s arm. “Jesse, I’ve brought the doctor. Jesse, this is Doctor Enoch Satterfield.”
Jesse tried to sit up, but gasped and laid back down. “I’m fine, Doc. I’m just sore from the long ride from Woodcliff.”
“I’m a retired doctor. Your wife tells me someone shot you in the back a while back.”
Jesse nodded.
“Did the doctor who treated you explain your internal injuries to you?” the doctor asked.
“Yes. He said I was fortunate that the bullet hadn’t hit my spine, but it did rip a lot of surrounding tissue and nicked my left lung. I’ve never had trouble breathing, but the pain in my back is bad still.”
“How long ago were you shot?” the doctor asked.
Jesse shrugged. “I recall little of what happened, but I figure it was about six weeks ago.”
The doctor rubbed his chin. “I take it the doctor removed the bullet?”
Jesse nodded.
Charlie thought his color was better, but she had no idea how serious his injury was, and she thanked God it wasn’t more serious.
“Let’s roll you over and let me look at that wound,” the doctor said, as he helped Jesse to roll over and pull up his shirt.
“Hmm.” The doctor lifted the bandage. “When was the last time you changed the bandage?” The doctor made a face as he disposed of the bandage, leading Charlie to believe it must have smelled bad.
“The doctor gave me some bandages, but I never got a chance to change the one he put on. I had to leave on an important mission, a life and death emergency, as it turned out,” Jesse said, gazing at Charlie.
Charlie stepped to the other side of the bed to see Jesse’s wound.
The doctor pointed to the meaty-looking red skin around the wound. “See that? He has an infection, but it isn’t so bad that I can’t fix it.” Satterfield looked up at Charlie. “You wouldn’t, by any chance, have any moldy bread, would you?”
“As luck would have it, I do. I’ve been gone for several days, and my bread has turned green. Why?”
“It will cure his infection since it’s just started. There’s just a hint of pus. I think we’ve caught it in time. Give me a slice of that bread, and don’t throw the loaf away. I’ll show you how to treat his wound, and I want you to continue until the redness has gone. The scab should fall off by itself, and when it does, you can stop the treatment.”
Charlie had no idea his wound would be so large. She had pictured a small bullet wound.
“Why is the wound so big? I thought it was just a bullet hole,” she
asked.
“The doctor had to dig in there to remove the bullet to see what damage the bullet incurred. He would have had to put nearly his entire hand inside the wound. Your husband is a lucky man. If that bullet had hit his spine, he could have ended up paralyzed.”
Charlie gasped. “We’re praying people, Doc. That was not luck.”
The doctor washed the wound with carbolic acid, placed the moldy bread on the wound, and wrapped up his back, leaving the bread inside. “Just leave the bread there and wrap the cotton cloth around his torso and tie it here,” the doctor said. “Think you can manage that?”
Charlie nodded. “I sure can. Every morning.”
The doctor left with a frosted chocolate cake, which he placed in his small buggy. Since Jesse had fallen asleep again, Charlie rode to Sean and Sophia’s to tell them all that had happened and to bring Shep home.
During Jesse’s recovery, there wasn’t any intimacy, although Charlie yearned for his arms to squeeze her again. She'd sleep beside him, and he’d put his arm around her. Charlie wondered how long it would be before Jesse was completely healed. She yearned to shoot Roy. Jail was too good for him.
Charlie ordered a new safe from a catalog at the general store. It would take weeks to arrive, but the old safe was ruined as Leo had pried it open. Leo had spent about twenty dollars, but she and Jesse were thrilled to get back what was left, and there was still enough to get them through the winter.
As the summer waned and the leaves on the trees started drifting to the ground, Charlie and Sophia were busy canning for the winter. Since Jesse was still healing, they did the work at Charlie and Jesse’s house. Jesse sat at the table and helped by chopping the fruit and vegetables.
One morning, as Charlie changed Jesse's bandage, she noticed that the scab had fallen off, and the wound looked clean. He’d have a scar, but his wound had finally healed.
Jesse and Charlie kneeled by the bed that night and thanked the Lord for Jesse’s recovery and especially for steering that bullet to where it would do the least amount of damage.
Chapter Nineteen
“Jesse,” Charlie whispered in bed after making love, “do you want children?”
He propped himself on his elbows and said, “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I guess I should since it could happen. What I mean to say is... while I’ve never thought of becoming a father, I suppose that since it could easily happen, I should prepare to be one.”
Charlie laughed and cuddled closer to him. “I know we only made love one night before you had to leave, but with all the excitement, it just dawned on me that I’ve missed my... um… time of the month. It might just be all the excitement we’ve been through, but I could be carrying our son or daughter.”
Jesse turned toward her. “I’m not sure if I’m ready.”
“What do you mean you aren’t sure? You may not have a choice in the matter,” she said with a giggle.
“I meant to say that you have my mind spinning, and I’m not sure if I’d make a good father or not.”
“Have you ever been around children?”
“No. Never. Just other people’s kids in passing.”
“You look so tough, but inside you can be soft as a purring kitten. I’m sure you’ll be a good father. The baby would be half of you and half of me.”
Jesse leaned back with his arms behind his head. “I need to digest all of this.”
“If I am increasing, you’ll have about seven months to digest.”
Jesse turned and took Charlie into his arms. “Women die in childbirth. What if I were to lose you?”
“Do you see me as a weak or frail woman? I’m tough, Jesse. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll see if Dr. Satterfield will come out to check you over, and I want to be sure he’ll be available in seven months to tend to the birth.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you: Dr. Satterfield has written his son in New Jersey to ask him to be the doctor for Sunset Creek, and he’s agreed. I hope he’ll be here and be established by the time we need him. The new Dr. Enoch Satterfield will be a young, qualified physician.”
“Sunset Creek is growing. I see more buildings going up on Main Street. We need a town doctor,” Jesse said.
Jesse strolled into the sheriff’s office and greeted Deputy Campbell. “Is the sheriff still in mourning?”
Campbell sighed. “He quit. Now the town council is looking for a new candidate for sheriff.”
“What about you?” Jesse asked.
“No, I’ve filled in for weeks now, and my farm has been neglected. I need to get back to farming. I have a wife and five children. I’ll stay on as deputy if the new sheriff will have me, but I can’t be on duty ten or twelve hours a day, and the pay isn’t great.”
“I don’t blame you. I hope they find someone soon.” Jesse gazed around the office. “Is Roy here yet?”
“Yes, they sent him here from Sterling’s Mill since you must press charges, and Sunset Creek is listed as your witness, Cordelia’s, legal residence. I spoke to Judge Hanley who said we can’t keep him locked up until you legally press charges. He committed attempted murder, but he killed no one. He claims the gun went off by accident. I guess we’ll have to let a judge decide.”
“It was a serious injury, but I’m all right now, though. Can I talk to Roy? Maybe we can strike a deal.”
“Sure. The cell is around the corner.”
Jesse walked around the corner to see Roy sitting on his cot with his head on his knees. He looked up when Jesse cleared his throat. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to make a deal with you. You’ll have to go to court and make the judge believe you shot me by accident. I’m willing to let you off the hook and agree it was an accident if you promise to pack up and leave Wyoming.”
“I didn’t plan to shoot you, but I panicked. I know I could never beat you in a gunfight.
“My wife and Delia left me, and I don’t know where they went. I was thinking of going to live near my brother, Raymond, in Nebraska. I promise to leave if you don’t press charges. You have my word. I have nothing to stay here for, anyway.”
Jesse held out his hand.
Ray stood, walked to the bars of his cell, and shook Jesse’s hand. “I’m sorry for everything, and I’m glad I didn’t kill you,” he said. “With no job, a harping wife... I just sort of went crazy, I guess.”
As Jesse strolled down the wooden walkway after picking up his mail, he heard someone say, “Wait up, Mr. Morgan!” Jesse spun around to see a balding man with spectacles. “I’m Judge John Hanley. I just spoke to Campbell, and he told me you aren’t pressing charges—is that right?”
“Yes, sir, and you can call me Jesse. It seems that Roy’s gun went off by accident.”
“Glad to hear it—my court calendar is full until November.
“By the way, your name was mentioned by two prominent citizens at the council meeting yesterday: Sean McMullen and Mac Kingsley. They nominated you to be the sheriff of our growing town.”
“I’m flattered, but what does the job entail?”
“Keeping law and order, of course... and collecting taxes.”
Jess tapped his chin. “What’s the pay?”
“It varies according to the taxes. Businesses pay more than citizens, but as you can see by the construction around town, businesses are growing. The pay might be just fifteen dollars a week to start. That’s what Barringer was getting, but as the town grows, so will your pay,” the judge told him.
“I’ll talk to my wife,” Jesse said. He knew he'd eventually need a job, and if he got one now, they could start saving their nest egg.
“There’s one other candidate: Arthur Goodman. There will have to be an election, and he is already in his forties, but we need a young sheriff, so your chance of winning is good. Word has gotten around that you’ve been a bounty hunter and that is an impeccable qualification.”
“I’ll let you know tomorrow, Judge.”
Charlie made Jesse’s
favorite supper: beef stew, and biscuits. When they’d finished and were having coffee, Jesse looked up at his wife. “I didn’t think you were beautiful when I first met you.”
“What?” Charlie nearly spit out her coffee.
“I thought you were cute, then I saw you as pretty, but now, you are absolutely beautiful.”
Charlie smiled. “It could be motherhood.”
“No,” Jesse said, drawing the word out. “I think it’s love.”
“Love?”
“The more I love you, the more beautiful you become with your little pug nose, big blue eyes, and I love your hair. It’s long enough to wear up now, like it was when I first met you, although I loved your shorn curls, too.”
Charlie squeezed his hand. “I can’t say the same for you, sorry to say.”
Jesse frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I thought you were handsome, even while intimidating, the first time I saw you. I told you that I fell in love with you while we camped on the way to Cheyenne—when did you fall in love with me?”
Jesse gave her a suggestive smile. “I never told you?”
“No, you never did.”
Jesse chuckled. “Do you think I’m a smart person?”
“Why are you changing the subject?” she asked.
“Just answer the question.”
“Yes. I think you’re very smart.”
“Why would a smart man propose to a woman so she would stay in town unless he loved her?”
Charlie gave him an enormous smile. “You and I fell in love at the same time?”
Jesse nodded.
Charlie leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “I so enjoy being with you. I hope we’ll always be this happy.”
“So do I, and that’s why I hesitate to ask you what I need to ask. I have to have an answer by tomorrow.”
Charlie’s smiled turned to a frown. “Answer for whom?”
“Judge Hanley?”
“Who’s Judge Hanley?”
“The town's judge, of course. He wants me to run for sheriff.”
